Paprocki living dream as Cubs PA announcer

CHICAGO -- The public-address booth at Wrigley Field is far at the end of the curved press box in the old ballpark's upper deck. From that perch, there is a perfect vantage point of the famous diamond and a view of Lake Michigan on a clear summer day.

"Being here now and sitting in this seat," said Jeremiah Paprocki, "it doesn't feel real."

On Thursday, Paprocki was concluding his first homestand as the Cubs' new public address announcer. At just 21 years old, Paprocki is now the voice of Wrigley Field, and the first African American to fill that role in the long, storied history of the franchise.

These past few days have been surreal for Paprocki not only due to his swift rise to a lifelong dream fulfilled, but for the circumstances of his first game behind the microphone.

Emotions were already high internally for Paprocki when he first settled into his chair on Monday night, but it was also a long-awaited moment for the fans in the Friendly Confines. Both Jon Lester and Kyle Schwarber -- heroes from the Cubs' 2016 World Series team -- were making their return trip with the Nationals.

It was Paprocki's baritone voice announcing their names, as the crowd's roar climbed.

"It was an awesome day," Paprocki said. "Being on the mic and welcoming back Jon Lester and Kyle Schwarber, it was truly an honor to be a part of that as well."

Paprocki's mom, Barbara, was in the stands, along with some friends to soak in the moment. In the late '90s, she actually held a security role for the Cubs, helping with the players' parking lot at times as part of her duties.

Paprocki was born and raised in Chicago, calling the Logan Square neighborhood home. He has fond memories of hearing the PA voices of Paul Friedman (1995-2010) and Andrew Belleson (2011-20) when attending games at Wrigley Field.

It meant a lot to Paprocki when Friedman, who returned for this season's first month, reached out to him earlier this week.

"He congratulated me on the position," Paprocki said. "And he said to feel free to reach out to him as someone who sat in that chair for years. ... I really appreciated that, because Paul was a voice of Wrigley for me as well, along with Andrew."

Paprocki said his passion for PA announcing began while at Bulls games as a kid. In two stints with Chicago's NBA franchise, Tommy Edwards became a legend in the city for his booming lineup announcements.

Those famous calls lit a spark in a young Paprocki.

"Tommy Edwards with the iconic, 'And now...' intro," Paprocki said. "That was probably something that kicked it off for me, because of how interested and fascinated I was as a kid seeing that."

From there, Paprocki started by reading announcements at his high school, the Chicago International Charter School-Northtown Academy. He worked his way up PA duties for some high school sports, and then continued that once at University of Illinois-Chicago.

Paprocki -- a senior at UIC with one semester remaining -- has done announcing for a wide range of Flames sports. He plans to continue announcing for his college, but noted, with a chuckle, that the Cubs are now his top priority.

The Cubs' job became precisely that while he was on spring break in Miami earlier this year. That was when -- via a social media post -- he learned about the application process for the vacancy in the booth.

"I got that notification right before I was going to go to the beach to kind of relax," Paprocki said with a laugh. "And I started freaking out, because I was like, 'This is important. I've got to take this.'"

Paprocki pieced together a video, sent it in with an application and the rest, as they say, is history.

And in his case, Paprocki did make history, becoming the first Black PA announcer for the Cubs. The importance of representation is not lost on Paprocki, who knows he can now be an inspiration to others.

After all, it was once Paprocki down in the stands, looking up at the PA announcer in the booth, hearing that voice carry through Wrigley Field.

"It really means a lot," he said. "Especially now when the social climate is very challenging for many African Americans across the world and especially in the United States. Having my story be such a positive thing for the community really means a lot.

"Hopefully, this can be an inspiration to many of the young boys and girls that are African American that want to pursue professional careers, not just in broadcasting."